My Yaris hybrid emits cleaner air than it inhales in terms of PM

Not quite accurate as we have exceptionally efficient, cabin air filters. To avoid the noise and stink, we tend to drive with our windows up and change our cabin filters frequently.

Bob Wilson

 

Let's test your theory about how your car cleans the atmosphere. Buy yourself a canary, put your car in the garage with the ignition running & idling overnight & all garage doors closed - canary in garage. Then try the experiment with an EV turned on in a garage & see who is the 'winner' is.
Enjoy your car .... it's a fine car - but don't ever think that it's exhaust is sunshine & laughter of little children.

 

EV's didn't put particulate matter into the air in the 1st place. Then again, shouldn't you count the refinery burning fuel to convert into the various products? Then again, both diesel, gas burners as well as EV's output particulate from rubber tires. All 3 transportation forms put out particulate in the form of brake dust too . That batch of extra fun facts kind of makes the whole point mood - in essence. At least EV's can generate fuel at home via PV solar. So they don't necessarily have to get credit for the refineries. Can't do that with a gas burner, not even if you build a refinery in your garage

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How?

I'm interested in both the equipment and testing protocol. For example, what temperatures, speed, and duration.

Bob Wilson

 

Diesel cars with exhaust filters have been cleaning particles out of the air for decades now. Still wouldn't want to breath that exhaust directly.
Is the Yaris new enough to have an exhaust filter too?

Are the particles removed enough to counter the particles coming off the brakes, tires, and road?

 

This is an interesting comparison and not well explored yet I guess. EVs (and hybrids ) shed less brake dust because of regenerative braking. But they are heavier and probably shed more tire dust.

 

What were the ambient PM levels in your area? Levels vary enormously by location.

EVs don't have tires?

 

of course - & that's why it's already mentioned - in the very post that raised the question.

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Modeling says the extra weight will result in more particles, but then the data for the model came from studies involving commercial trucks. Being boxy things, they have turbulent wakes, and the studies didn't differentiate the particles in the air between what came off their tires and what got resuspended from the road surface by their passing.

The new EU emission regs will be imposing limits on particles from brakes and maybe tires.

 

Repeated measurements with tread-depth gauge would provide upper limits on shredding fluxes. Re suspension of road surface stuff would not matter. Nor would troublesome aerodynamics in the vicinity.

 

Won't tell you the size of the particles, or if the rubber isn't adhering to the road surface.

 

Actually a combo of both tread depth as well as tire circumference ... giant wheels coincide with very heavy vehicles. Many interstate haulers go through tires in as little as 3 years.

 

A company in UK (Emissions Analytics) has done quite a bit of testing of particle emissions from tires. For example:

Gaining traction, losing tread Pollution from tire wear now 1,850 times worse than exhaust emissions — Emissions Analytics

 

what is an exhaust filter?

 

For particle emissions. Diesels have had them for a awhile; called a DPF. The regeneration cycles diesel cars do is to clear off the filter.

Some gasoline engines make enough particles to require them under US regulations, but are exempt from needing them. Europe now requires such to have the filters, and you'll see GPF used for them.

The dual port and direct injection Toyota uses was an effort to avoid needing the filter. Don't know if that worked, but the new engines coming out are just direct injection.

 

picked up a Sprinter diesel class C motorhome on the cheep - upon retiring 4 years ago or so, it was necessary to refresh my diesel knowledge. Much has changed since the very early 1990s regarding diesel emissions. Who would have ever thought back then that putting urea into exhaust could remove much of the particulate. Who would have ever thought it would require a heater for -11C° winter temps -
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Still wondering how a Yaris hybrid takes particle metrics on the air intake and exhaust?

Lasers and cameras?

Bob Wilson